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This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to WikiFur style and standards. For specifics, check the edit history and talk page. Consult the Furry Book of Style for editing help. |
Avelacuna, or "ave", is an anthropomorphic artist, represented in her work by the Siberian husky and golden jackal hybrid Verveine, although she has several very personal characters that could be considered fursonas. The name "avelacuna" refers to the person, "Verveine" refers to the dog. Avelacuna prefers to spell her handle with a lowercase "a", though she doesn't object to the capital letter's usage. She tends to refrain from using her real name.
She draws mainly nonmorphic avians and canines due to her adoration of these creatures, but she is capable of depicting a variety of other species.
Avelacuna does not consider herself to be a furry, but rather an inhabitant of the fandom's outskirts.
She does not roleplay anywhere online except for the parody RPG Kingdom of Loathing.
She is an industrial music enthusiast.
Amy Lacour-Delacroix is a psychotic, necrophiliac female gryphon created sometime in 2003 by avelacuna. She first made her appearance in a webcomic, though at that point she was present solely for comic relief.
Amy's backstory was explained soon after her introduction: the murder of her mate, Andor, sparked a series of events that led to her descent into madness. Refusing to accept his death, she was caught exhuming the corpse and sent to a psychiatric institution for containment and treatment. At this time, however, she was not mentally ill, rather emotionally fragile. Exposure to the other patients resulted in psychosomatic "acquiring" of several psychoses, which later manifested themselves as the full-blown illnesses.
In 2004, Amy became the main character of another comic, this time a drama, focusing on her life in a city after escaping from the sanitarium. In this comic, she was revealed to be a shapeshifter, able to take the form of a human and any physical blend between her gryphon and human forms. She had also apparently recovered Andor's carcass and was found to be keeping it in her seedy apartment.
Her gryphonic appearance has changed significantly over the years. Amy was originally presented as rabbit-like in body, with a leonine tail, small front limbs and large hindquarters. She had a giant, almost wing-like off-white, black, and grey crest. Later her crest was reduced to thin, plumacious black feathers and an auricular stripe appeared. At this point in time, her body became more lupine in appearance. As of early 2006, her crest has become a thick mane of black plumes, extending fown her neck and analogous to a wolf's hackles. Her body is now long and lean, with medium limbs and a fluffy tail. Her eyes have always remained ice blue.
In human form, she appears to be a medium-height (about 5'5") human female in her 20s of solid build, though definitely not fat. Her hair is black, wavy, and extending to about her mid-back. She has a long, flexible neck, curved talons on her hands and feet, vestiges of scutellar scales on her arms, the ability to mimic voices with prfect precision, and an obvious furcula rather than unfused clavicles: all avian characteristics she has been unable to eliminate from this form. She always wears a corset and a barbell in her right eyebrow.
A sampling of other characters[edit]
- Verveine : A female Siberian husky x golden jackal hybrid, not an especially personal character, but avelacuna's depiction of self in her work.
- Tourniquet : A female gryphon, one of avelacuna's most personal characters
- Sagödjura : A female gryphon, another very personal character
- Marsillach: A male gryphon, a "guardian"
- Willow : A female Siberian husky x Alaskan malamute cross and most likely avelacuna's most well-known character, the main character of her now defunct webcomic "The Green Husky"
Verveine is the therian side of anthropomorph artist Avelacuna. She is a young reddish-purple Golden jackal / Siberian husky hybrid with possible Alaskan Malamute ancestry. Verveine is usually depicted in quad form. She does not have an anthropomorphic bipedal form. Other forms she may be depicted as are were, winged, and gryphon.
Verveine's intial form, created in mid-2004, was that of an anthropomorphic, bipedal, vivisected golden jackal/husky cross, light purple and bi-eyed (pale blue right eye, pale green left). Her markings were very simple at this point: traditional "Irish" patterning on her body and a long blaze on her forehead. She also had long, daggerlike retractable steel claws.
Verveine, like her creator, is fairly friendly but extremely shy.
External links[edit]
This stub about a person could be expanded. |


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Watch These Guys Make 1500 Bags of Leaves into a Pile and Then Jump
It's the fall, you're in Utah, and you're bored. What to do to pass the time? Well, if you're these guys, you rent a truck, collect almost 1,500 bags of leaves, build a leaf pile, and jump off of your roof.
While this video is pretty awesome, it also exposes a larger social problem -- that we as Americans have gotten pretty soft. While we are content with two-story jumps into leaves, the Russians are doing five-story jumps into snow. Surely we cannot let Russia defeat us in the race to jump off of buildings into huge piles of things, can we?
The new cold war has officially begun.

subset: commoncrawl


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Now that Jimmy Graham is locked in as a tight end under the franchise tag, the question is whether he can agree to a long-term contract with the New Orleans Saints by the July 15 deadline for franchised players.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday's edition of NFL Total Access that agent Jimmy Sexton and general manager Mickey Loomis will be starting at "ground zero" in negotiations.
Both sides were waiting for Wednesday's ruling as a benchmark for talks. Graham now has 10 days to appeal, which looms as a potential complication.
There is a very real possibility, per Rapoport, that Graham will balk at signing his tender if there is no agreement by the deadline.
Arbitrator Stephen Burbank suggested as much in his ruling, stating that Graham's "consideration of whether to accept the Franchise Player tender is affected by whether the tender is for a one-year contract of $7 million, or $12 million."
In a worst-case scenario for the Saints, Graham could travel the route paved by Logan Mankins in 2010 when the Patriots guard skipped training camp, failed to report for the start of the regular season and only rejoined the team in early November, thereby accruing a season toward free agency.
On the positive side, though, NFL Media's Albert Breer notes the Saints have been "100 percent prepared" for this scenario and still anticipate an agreement with Graham "right before" the July 15 deadline.
The tight-end ruling will provide clarity in negotiations, setting Graham's value below the top-tier wide-receiver market. If Graham is due to collect $15-16 million under the franchise tag for the next two years, the Saints might be able to appease him by offering more than $20 million up front.
The bottom line: If we don't have an answer to Graham's contract status in two weeks, the issue could linger well into the 2014 season.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" debates Jay Cutler's ceiling and looks back at the NFL in the '90s.


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Relaxation with Self Awareness
Bodily movements, speech and mental functions are three-fold activities of our organism. One of the facets of meditation practice is reduction or total cessation of each of these activities. Three types of meditation practices thus ensure from the trinity of activities. Kayotsarga, and its associates such as Kayagupti, Kayapratisamlinata etc. come under one of these three types.
Kayotsarga literally means 'abandonment of the body coupled with high degree of conscious awareness'. In practice, it is conscious suspension of all gross movements of the body resulting in relaxation of the skeletal muscles and drastic reduction of metabolic activities. This physical condition results in relieving mental tensions and is an essential precondition for meditation practice. It becomes, therefore, the first phase of Preksa Dhayana must be practised for a few minutes at the commencement of all types of this technique. Apart from this, Kayotsarga may be independently practised daily for longer periods, If one learns and practices systematic relaxation everyday he would remain relaxed, calm and unperturbed in any situation. Physically it is more restful than sleep, and is the most harmless and direct antidote to psychosomatic maladies resulting from tension. Spiritually, in this process, the lifeless body is cast off, while the consciousness upwards freed from and outside its material shell.
Method of Kayotsarga
Choose a comfortable position; 'Lotus-posture' is ideal, but other ones can also be adopted. Keep your spinal cord, neck and head in a straight line without causing tension. For longer period, lying flat on a hard ground on a blanket is more suitable. Relaxation commences with the total cessation of the voluntary movements. Since breathing and relaxation are linked together, be aware of your breathing. If it is shallow, hasty and irregular, regulate it until it becomes even, slow and rhythmic. After this, it may be forgotten altogether. Next persuade every muscle in each part of the body to relax by auto-suggestion. Keeping the body entirely motionless, allow the mind to move in small steps keeping in mind that the technique is that of patient persuasion, and not forced by strong will-power. Auto-suggestion is followed by an experience of relaxation in each part. When the whole body has become relaxed, there is an acute and actual perception of rest and relaxation, which is no longer auto-suggestion, but is real experience. Once this stage is reached, the body is cast off and forgotten, and the conscious element reveals its separate existence. Thus Kayotsarga is not only total relaxation, but actual perception of the self, quite apart from the material non-self i.e. the body.


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Bet you didn't experience wildlife like this when you were on your last wildlife safari. Marlice van Vuuren is a Namibian animal conservationist and a woman very familiar with the ways of the African cheetah. She should know, her last 34 years were spent growing up around animals in Namibia, and she currently runs the N/a'an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary with her husband Rudie.
It's that sort of experience that's prepared her for this close interaction with wild cheetahs, no doubt mixed with a healthy dose of bravery and maybe a shred of craziness. Check out this video where van Vuuren gets off of her dirt bike and walks around among the wild cats, often advancing towards them and showing her dominance — it's a pretty amazing show.Unfortunately, the clip appears to be spoken in English, then dubbed in French, so here is a translation of what Marlice Van Der Merwe is saying about her encounter:
If I lower myself down to their level, they'll approach as we appear to be be of similar size … I'm doing this to show how cowardly they are, not to tease them … But also, to get a rush of adrenaline … As soon as you turn your back on them, they attack … As soon as you look them in the eyes, they're afraid of you … If you run, you're prey. But, if you turn around, they stop … I think they've had enough


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Legislators To Choose Leaders
KSCB News - December 3, 2012 8:39 am
Kansas Republican legislators are meeting in the Statehouse to choose the next Senate president and speaker of the House.
Monday's elections will be held by returning incumbents and those taking office for the first time in January. Republicans will outnumber Democrats during the upcoming session 32-8 in the Senate and 92-33 in the House.
Party primaries in August saw the conservative wing of the Republican Party oust several moderates, including Senate President Steve Morris. In the House, Speaker Mike O'Neal decided to retire after 28 years in the chamber, including two terms as speaker.
Democrats are expected to re-elect Anthony Hensley, of Topeka, as Senate minority leader and Paul Davis, of Lawrence, as House minority leader.


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As a state-of-the-art systems service provider, GarCom, Inc.
specializes in offering a range of services.
Whether your need is for full fiber optic services, copper services,
audiovisual, digital signage or surveillance, we have a team eager to answer your needs.
Design - Build Services. specializes in coordination with owners, purchase managers and engineering staff to design and build the best possible systems configuration for the project application. Fiber Optic Cabling. GarCom, Inc. was formed to meet the fiber optic needs of our clients and our experienced, knowledgeable project consultants and technicians are dedicated to total customer satisfaction. |
Network Infrastructure. For more then a decade, we have provided voice/data network solutions for Government and private industry throughout the United States. Special System Design. The Special Systems group develops audiovisual, videoconferencing, digital signage and security systems from design concept to installation. |


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I created this block for Leila in the Ringo pie bee. She asked for "favourite things" and I love kitchen themed blocks. I also thought it would look cute with the apron and mixing bowls I made for her in the Cocorico bee!
The pattern is available in my Craftsy and Etsy shop. This block is 6" and the pattern includes an 8" block pattern as well as instructions for enlarging to a 10" or 12" block.


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While Irish and Italian citizens participated in the protests against the US SOPA / PIPA bills, it seems that their own Governments are in the process of introducing very similar measures – perhaps even harsher.
The Irish government is acting in the wake of a court case (EMI and Others Vs UPC) where record companies attempted, without success, to force an ISP to take measures against file-sharing on its network; The High Court's ruling was far from a vindication of the rights of ISPs and websites to operate as they currently do, but rather an admission that there's no basis in current Irish law to support the requested granting of injunctive relief to the recording companies.
The full ruling on that landmark case is available here and makes for interesting and often – unintentionally, no doubt – amusing reading, peppered as it is with terms like 'the latestmovie blockbuster, to use the appropriate colloquial terminology' and 'anything other than a scandal' (Myles Na gCopaleen would have a field day with it were he alive and well) .
The ruling takes full account of the record companies woes, though pays very little attention to how the internet has revolutionised the music industry from the point of view of the independent artist, and how this may well be affected by the various legislative measures being lobbied for by 'the entertainment industry' .
The upshot of the ruling is that the Minister for Research and Innovation Sean Sherlock TD intends to respond with legislation probably in the form of a ministerial order (which won't be debated or voted on), the wording of which remains a mystery at the moment but which will be introduced before the end of January.
Irish hosting provider Black Knight, who along with other have set up a stop irish sopa campaign, suggest that the formula likely to be introduced would have the following effect:
"we, a hosting provider, could be held liable for a copyright infringement that we knew nothing about. Of course it goes further than that, as it could be (ab)used and force us, and others in industry, to either block access (filter) your internet connection or disable access to entire websites and domains. Or taking it further, if a rights holder found an infringing photo on Facebook they could demand that the site be blocked!"
At the same time, in Italy, a member of the right-wing party La Lega Nord who until recently were in Government, but are currently in opposition, has proposed measures similar but more extreme measures to the SOPA bill. MP Giovanni Fava, who met with congressman Lamar Smith (one of the sponsors of SOPA), has claimed in comments published in the Corriere della Sera, that he's been clearly told by American politicians that unless Italy introduces measures to curb software piracy that import levies on goods from Italy will remain high.
Under Fava's proposed amendment to a bill implementing various EU directives, copyright holders would be able to send a complaint directly to ISP's and hosting providers ordering them to take down material infringing copyright – no courts would be necessary or authority to judge the validity of the claims. Fava has argued that the ISP and/or Hosting services have the right to decide for themselves the validity or otherwise of any request, but the legal implications seem clear. On receiving a complaint ISPs and hosting providers will, probably, simply accede for fear of being held legally responsible.
The good news is that Fava himself has admitted that, in the wake of the SOPA protests and that bill's shelving, his amendment looks likely to be rejected. What's worrying, though, is the very obvious single-mindset being adopted by legislators internationally, to force through SOPA measures in one form or another.
And that's without even getting into ACTA, which it seems has received precious little press in comparison with SOPA/PIPA.
Celebrations about the shelving of SOPA / PIPA then look very premature.
For more info:
Stop ACTA
Il Sopa Italiano e gia fallito?
Stop SOPA
Stop SOPA Ireland


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February 1, 2013
Don't let that frighten you. And don't jump off a cliff. I throw that number out there more for conversation purposes than an outright prediction. On the other hand, if history repeats itself, that is likely the downside target for soybeans. This is a potentially very bearish situation soybean producers could be facing in the next several months.
The chart above displays a very interesting potential scenario. After peaking in May 1997 at $9.03, the market declined to $4.02 by July 1999, a 55% drop in prices. In April 2004 the market peaked at $10.64 and dropped to $4.99 – a decline of 53%.
July 2008 witnessed a top price of $16.60 followed by a drop into December 2008 at $7.77, a 54% decline.
It is frightening that the percent declines have been almost identical in the past three bear markets. If this particular market declines 54% from the August peak at $17.78, the downside target becomes $8.18.
Possibilities, probabilities and facts
The important question to ask now is what are the probabilities and possibilities of this happening. I like to separate market information into three categories; possibilities, probabilities and facts.
The facts that we know in this market include:
1. The trend is down.
2. Short crops peak early and have a long tail. This is a short crop.
3. Never store a short crop; always store a record crop.
4. It's not the news that you know is important; it is the news you do not know that is important.
5. On the positive side, the soybean market is extremely oversold technically.
6. Chinese demand continues very strong. While we do not expect it to grow, we don't look for any major setbacks either.
Now let's take a look at some possibilities:
1. Yield increases start to kick in. Genetic improvements in soybean yields have not matched those of corn. Could this be the year?
2. Increased acreage? We don't think so, but there is certainly a reasonable possibility that northern Illinois and northern Iowa will see some increased acreage due to yield drag of continuous corn. We believe that much of that increase, however, will be offset by decreases in soybean acreage in the south.
3. A big Brazilian and a strong Argentine crop appear to be on the way. That in itself could be all the fuel that is needed to keep the major bear market in soybeans going.
4. A slowdown in Chinese purchases? As weak as the world economy is, it's a possibility but we would not throw it in to the category of a probability.
The bull side?
From price levels above $13.50, the only "possibility" would be major production problems in the U.S. this spring and summer. That is a long shot from this price level, considering the cut in demand over the last nine months.
So what does it all mean? To me it means this is not a year to be storing soybeans. It is a year to be a very aggressive forward seller. Prices are still very profitable, and the risk on the downside is greater than the potential on the upside. Lock in profits in a market like this when you have a chance.
About the Author(s)
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Saturday, September 24, 2005
Quiet You!
Jennifer Lopez was in Chicago to open up her first clothing boutique:
It's interesting that she chose Chicago to be the city for her first boutique ... not New York, not Los Angeles ... not Miami ... hmmm ....
This week J. Lo presented her second Sweetface fashion show:
Sweetface, as you know, is J. Lo's couture line (supposedly more classy and high end than her regular J. LO line) so I wonder why she decided to wear this ugly ballgown thing ... it really doesn't flatter her figure.
Here are some pictures of Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar and The Rock filming their new movie Southland Tales:
It's an interesting mix of actors ... I guess we'll have to wait and see how the movie turns out. In any regard, SMG looks H-O-T. [via ONTD!]
Heidi Klum is already going out again having just given birth to her baby boy Henry. Here is Heidi and her daughter doing some shopping at Toys 'R Us:
She looks pretty damn good ... Heidi is really good at birthin' babies and then getting back into the swing of things really quickly.
Check out these pictures of Nicolas Cage and his ... chick:
Honestly, Nic looks like an old dude in that hat ... it's easy to see why I thought he was out with his daughter ... yeah, that and the fact that his wife is actually only 17 years old.
Here are pictures of Kristin Cavalleri and her new boyfriend Brody Jenner:
Mr. Jenner is definitely much hotter than Stephen ... mostly because Brody has already gone thru puberty. [thanks Brianna and Britni]
Aww, check out this really cute photoshoot of Mariah Carey playing with her little doggie Jack:
That dog has more money than I'll ever see in my lifetime. Isn't that so wrong? [via ForeverMariah.com]
So, last weekend I featured pictures of Playgirl magazine's Man of the Year Charles Dera ... but it appears that Chuck had a modeling career long before he was featured in Playgirl magazine. Homeboy used to be a fetish underwear model:
You can see more of Charles at MaximumExposure.com. Yeah, there is a lot of him to see. [thanks Phillip]
Nicky Hilton has taken it upon herself to make sweaters sexy:
Chick by Nicky Hilton is the clothing line that will deliver those sexy and sensuously alluring sweaters that are sure to set you apart from the crowd.
And finally, yesterday I was very fortunate to partake in a psychic reading with Justine Kenzer, who is known as Psychic Girl:
Justine is really good, y'all. She is practically the "psychic to the stars" ... she has been featured in countless magazines and other publications. Needless to say I was very excited that I scored a reading with her. I could tell immediately that she was really tuned into what I was feeling and focusing on. I was very pleased with my reading ... it was comforting and very right on. She was able to zero in on things that have been weighing heavily on my mind and help me discern what my focus needs to be in the immediate future to ensure success. Check out her site, see what Psychic Girl is all about. I am so glad that I did.
Les news:
- Blender magazine was going to feature Madonna on the cover of their December issue ... then dropped her in lieu of Ashlee Simpson.
- Jennifer Love Hewitt says that H&M did Kate Moss a favor by firing her. Burberry is doing Sienna Miller by hiring her as their Kate Moss replacement.
- Tom Sizemore is releasing his own sex tapes. Um, EW.
- THIS would be an interesting Lost theory (Roussau's Genetic Mirror Theory) if it weren't totally fake.
- Made in Brazil oftentimes has some fun semi-NSFW stuff to check out.
- But my French homies, Steph and Alek, always come thru ... click HERE for a preview of the 2006 Dieux Du Stade calendar.
- Carlos Santana wants to be a shaman.
- More Kristin Cavalleri vs. Lindsay Lohan. Um, who would YOU put your money on? [thanks Kristen]
- Click HERE if you want The Comeback to come back. [thanks Robert & Jefferson]
- Everybody Hates Chris pulled in some decent numbers for its series debut. I watched it and really liked it. Check it out.
- If you download the new iTunes exclusive remix for Mariah Carey's Shake It Off you can get an autographed picture ... and may win dinner with the diva!
- Warren Beatty accuses Gov. Ahhhnold of imposing GWB's agenda upon the state of California.


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E-mailing, surfing, blogging, chatting, logging in onto your company network… Telenet Hotspot guarantees superfast wireless internet access in numerous public places like airports, train stations, petrol stations, schools, cafes, squares, shops, ... You just continue working on your own laptop, smartphone or tablet. Where and when you want. Telenet Hotspot gives you a reliable and safe service.
Find your location among the 1.500 Telenet Hotspots in Belgium/Luxembourg.
Find your hotspot inDistinguish yourself from your competitors: with a Telenet Hotspot you offer your visitors, customers, patients and business partners a service that is strongly appreciated.
Your own staff can also work via the Telenet Hotspot: this increases your company's productivity and the mobility of all employees.
Become a Telenet Hotspot


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Other Free Learning Resources
(Redirected from Hunter-gatherers project)
Type classification: this resource is a collection of other resources. |
This project (formerly the "Hunter-gatherers project") aims to find, list, and evaluate Internet learning resources that anyone can freely access and use. We encourage you to discuss and explore ways to integrate these resources with Wikiversity courses. These are important tasks and essential aspects of Wikiversity's purpose.
See also edit
Other lists of on-line resources:
External links edit
0 - 9 edit
- 120 Minutes with JTS (Jewish Theological Seminary): A wide variety of Jewish topics, many of general interest to students of world history.
A - D edit
- Academia Thules, a site that offers courses about ancient Rome and ancient Roman reenactment
- Academic Earth, a site containing video courses from various Universities and Lecturers.
- Access Excellence Activities Collections
- Alison
- Better Explained
- Bioscience Education
- BBC: Colin And Cumberland - An interactive game that teaches elementary Gaelic
- BBC: OU offers free learning materials
- Bhakti Ananda Goswami's Collected Works: The Primal Revelation at the Heart of Civilization
- Big History - An Introduction to Everything
- Brand Management Study Guide - A complete tutorial on Brand Management.
- Beyond Intractability - Lots of essays about constructive approaches to dealing with conflict.
- ByMath: Algebra (text)
- ByMath: Basic Arithmetic (text)
- Carnegie Mellon University Open Learning
- Cell Biology and Cancer Activities
- CK-12 Foundation
- Colorado Education Resources in Environmental Sciences
- Conflict Resolution Information Source
- Coursera
- Curriki
- Darakht-e Danesh
- DMoz
E - H edit
- ECGpedia - free online electrocardiography (ECG) course and textbook.
- edHelper - on-line lessons paid subscriptions, but can be viewed for ideas.
- EdX is a joint partnership between The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University to offer online learning to millions of people around the world.
- Excel Easy - fully illustrated Excel tutorial + 300 examples. 100% free.
- Excel Template - A collection of over 200 free Excel templates for any occasion imaginable. Calendars, planners, timesheets, finance and accounting documents, charts and dashboards, and other documents for productivity, business, study, and private life.
- The Floating University - Released by Big Think to distribute big ideas.
- Free University
- Freedesktop
- Free Video Lectures
- GeoGebra - Similar Figures manipulation for 6th grade math
- Gentoo Linux Wiki
- Goodwill Community Foundation Learn Free
- Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment
- HowStuffWorks
- HippoCampus The goal of HippoCampus is to provide high-quality, multimedia content on general education subjects to high school and college students free of charge. HippoCampus was designed as part of Open Education Resources (OER), a worldwide effort to improve access to quality education for everyone.
- Strategies for Teaching History University of California Santa Barbara
- Higher Still Notes Full Course Notes for Scottish Higher Courses
- Humiliation Studies Network list of open education resources.
I - L edit
- Issuelab Online publishing forum for nonprofit research licensed under CC-BY-SA[?].
- Internet FAQ Archives
- JavaScript 1.5 Reference
- John Hopkins OpenCourseWare
- Khan Academy with the mission of providing a world-class education to anyone, anywhere. It has more than 1800 videos on math, biology, chemistry and more.
- Learnamic Online directory and reviews of self-paced learning tools
- The Linux Documentation Project
M - P edit
- Math Drills Math worksheets for elementary and middle school
- Math Solutions Math by Marilyn Burns
- Math Village Teaching materials for middle school math
- MERLOT II A collection of free and open online teaching, learning, and faculty development services.
- The University of Michigan Initiative on Disability Studies courses are available here
- Mooc-List
- Monterey Institute for Technology and Education - An educational non-profit organization committed to improving access to education.
- More Video Lectures
- National Repository of On-line Courses (NROC) - Project supports the development and distribution of high-quality on-line courses to a worldwide audience.
- University of Nebraska Lincoln Digital Commons
- Ocean resource center
- OER Commons
- Open Education Consortium
- Open courseware finder
- OpenStax - free scholarly materials, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
- Open Study - OpenStudy is a website partnered with institutions like MIT OpenCourseWare and Yale Open Course
- MIT OpenCourseWare
- Tokyo Institute of Technology OpenCourseWare
- Tufts OpenCourseWare
- Utah State University OpenCourseWare
- OpenLearn: access to Open University course materials under a Creative Commons licence
- P2P University
- Physics Forums: An Introduction to PH and Buffer Solution Calculations (text)
- Programming Resources List - Helpful resource list for those wanting to learn how to code.
Q - T edit
- Request for Comments - Documentation for Internet protocols
- Saylor.org is a free and open collection of college level courses.
- STEM Sheets A collection of free customizable and printable math and science worksheets and flashcards.
- Ted Ed Lessons Worth Sharing
- Scientific Methods
- Standford Introduction to General Relativity (video)(pdf)
- Tools for Structural Biology Education
- Scientist.By Community: Educational Webinars
- Questgarden - webquest activities for a range of ages and study areas
U - X edit
- University of Reddit
- Visual Calculus is a very good introduction to single variable calculus with explanations and exercises made with flash.
- The Whole Frog Project
- World Wide Web Consortium
- WikiEducator
- WikiHow
- The WWW Virtual Library
- W3 Schools On-line Web Tutorials
- The Wolfram Demonstrations Project is an open-code resource that uses dynamic computation to illuminate concepts in science, technology, mathematics, art, finance, and other fields.
- Wonder How To
- The Xorg Foundation
Y - Z edit
- YouTube EDU - lectures, demonstrations, and other educational videos. See also YouTube.


text: Pearl Corporation is organized and functions as a wholesale distributor of drums, percussion musical instruments and flutes for the United States. The majority of drums and related items are manufactured by Pearl Musical Instrument company and imported directly from company owned factories located in Taiwan and China. The flutes are manufactured in Taiwan and Japan while the latin percussion instruments are manufactured in Thailand. Pearl Corporation is also the exclusive U.S. distributor of Adams timpani, marching brass, and mallet percussion instruments. Pearl Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pearl Musical Instrument Company, whose headquarters is located in Yachiyo City, Chiba, Japan.


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The Hansol Korea Open had two tennis fashionistas duking it out in the final: on one side was the EleVen-clad Venus Williams. On the other, Maria Kirilenko and her adidas by Stella McCartney outfits.
After it was over, both 2007 winner Venus and runner-up Kirilenko changed into hanboks (the country's traditional dress) for the awards ceremony. Venus' hanbok is worth approximately $3,200. The ladies received bouquets and these great vases — yet another welcome change to ho-hum silver cups and glass prisms we're so used to seeing.
Other photos of Venus and Maria. The American beat the Russian 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, ending her eight-match winning streak. Good to see both of these women doing well. (FYI, this is Venus' third title of the year out of 11 tournaments entered.)
The final in Luxembourg also went to three sets, with Ana Ivanovic taking her third title after her 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Daniela Hantuchova. The Slovak has lost no earlier than the semis of her last three tourneys; she's found her form after a disappointing hardcourt summer.
Photoless: Virginie Razzano beat Tzipora Obziler 6-0, 6-3 to become the 2007 Guangzhou International Women's Open Champion.
In Mumbai, Richard Gasquet redeems his disappointing summer (the highlight: getting flack for withdrawing from the U.S. Open because of a sore throat) with his 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Belgian Olivier Rochus. This is his first title of the year.
In doubles, Robert Lindstedt and Jarkko Nieminen are the champions.
Dmitry Tursunov took out Benjamin Becker in an easy, breezy, 6-2, 6-1 match at the Thailand Open. He makes a cute face for Josh! (Giving him the trophy is Thailand Tennis Association prez Suwat Liptapallop.)
As usual, Tursunov was wearing Fila and Becker was wearing clothes from his sponsor, Boris Becker.
(photos by AP and Getty Images)
>> TSF's trophy watch archive


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We've been fans of Bilk, the maker of self-adhesive, removable surface graphics, for years. They got loads of designs and original art patterns to choose from including some from Upper Playground, Sanrio, Keith Haring Estate, Nintendo and Charles & Ray Eames - and so many more.
We're privy to this one by Jim Houser, one of five available. -- Blik can also print your own designs as well. Check it.


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Tim VanDyke
68 pages: $10.00
July, 2011
To assert a sensibility, a perspective, a VOICE that is not only new, but necessary: the grail. In America, I number Dickinson, Pound, Stein, Stevens, Olson, Duncan, Ronald Johnson, Nathaniel Mackey, Alice Notley. The Jerome Rothenberg of the anthologies. The Clayton Eshleman of the translations. The Guy Davenport of the essays. To scratch the most recent and most ancient of itches, the ones that remain hidden until, as if by miracle, the correct arrangement of words offers their awful relief. To make hidden topographies not only visible, but felt. To make the known and unknown mingle in taut immediacy. To orchestrate a symphony of the whole. This is what the company of divine poets I have listed above have done, and still do. In his first poetry collection, has Tim VanDyke already joined their number? Go on, venture through. He's much, much closer than you think.
— Tony Tost
Tim VanDyke's poems did not grow upright and placid in an M.F.A. program. These are poems born of piscine lore and the wood, of mad koans and wild, mythic articulations. They trammel the sutures of being and non-being under the aegis of ecstasy. They infuse the cyborg apparatus with terrible angels. They bitch-slap the Abbots of Iniquity with the entrails of prophecy. They employ formal experiment as divine speculum. They vivisect the assumptions of the piquant gourmands, also known as Blake's empiricist cherubs, also known as the idolaters of culture, also known as contemporary poets, and reconstitute them as beautiful and furious fugues, impure, necrotic, assured, and glittering in the nethersphere psychotropics of a terminal night.
— Tim Earley
"Manifold are the durations one becomes" and so it is with Tim VanDyke's poetry. From a mind that has absorbed the vast terrain and history of the art and brought it into a bright new practice, these poems continually surprise us with sudden intense visages that become cadences within the larger rhythm and flow. Nothing remains unchanged as lines, words, letters, shapes are transformed before us along with the sounds they release. The abiding presence of the poems is the spirit of mutation toward some deeper, outer mystery. There is great beauty in this poetry – to merely read its surfaces is a pleasing experience – but the greater pleasure is to surrender to its depths. Few poets attempt this scale or surrender to such openness, let alone deliver it with such knowledge, mastery and contagious enthusiasm. If this is the future of poetry then the future is boundless.
— Jake Berry


text:
Randy Travis Cited in Church FIGHT -- 'Extremely Intoxicated'
Randy Travis Cited in Church Fight 'Extremely Intoxicated'
2:00 PM PT -- Travis had "bloodshot" eyes and torn clothing following the incident ... this according to the police report.
11:38 AM PT -- A source close to Randy tells TMZ, the singer was NOT drunk, nor had he been drinking. The source says Randy's fiancee and her estranged husband were arguing over visitation of their son and things got violent ... so Randy jumped in.
7:45 AM PT -- The Plano Police Department tells TMZ ... Travis was cited for simple assault. We're told officials believe Randy was the primary aggressor.
Cops say ... there was a "family argument" taking place between a man and a woman ... and Randy got involved.
Randy's lawyer, Larry Friedman, tells TMZ ... the woman in the argument is Randy's fiancee, who was arguing with her estranged husband ... when Randy entered the situation.
Friedman says, "Randy Travis was the only man that came to the rescue ... fortunately even today chivalry is not dead"
Another man was also involved in the fight, but cops say it wasn't the husband.
More trouble for Randy Travis ... TMZ has learned the embattled singer was involved in a FIGHT in a church parking lot in Texas early this morning.
Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops responded to the church around 1 AM after receiving a tip about two men fighting in the parking lot.
We're told Travis was taken to the hospital after the fight. One source tells us Randy appeared to be "extremely intoxicated."
We're told the fight was over a girl.
Travis has had serious problems with alcohol -- he was arrested for DWI earlier this month after cops say they found the singer naked at the scene of a car crash.
And Travis was busted for public intoxication back in February after cops say he was hammered in a different church parking lot.
Attempts to reach Travis were unsuccessful.


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Related links:
The constellation Capricornus represents the figure of either a goat or a sea-goat in the sky. It is believed to be the oldest constellation known. Capricornus is also a member of the Zodiac, a special group of constellations that the Sun travels through every year.
Because Capricornus is so old, there are several different myths about this dim constellation. Some civilizations believed that Capricornus was the Gate of the Gods, a region in the sky where souls passed when humans died. Other beliefs concentrated on a figure of a goat or even a sea-goat. A sea-goat was part goat, part fish.
In Greek myth, Capricornus was associated with Pan. During a picnic, a monster called Typhon attacked the gods. The gods turned themselves into animals and fled, but Pan couldn't decide what to be. Finally, he jumped into the Nile River, at which point he transformed. His lower half was in water, so it became a fish. However, his upper-half was still dry, so it stayed a goat.
The Tropic of Capricorn got its name from this ancient constellation. At one time, the Sun reached the winter solstice while passing in front of Capricornus. At that time, the Sun had reached its lowest point in the southern sky-- 23.5 degrees south of the celestial equator. Even though the winter solstice no longer occurs in Capricorn, we still recognize the Tropic of Capricorn as the lowest latitude on Earth where the Sun lies directly overhead.
Capricornus is one of the dimmest constellations and contains only a few celestial objects. A globular cluster named M30 is located to the left of Capricornus. Lying 41,000 light years from Earth, M30 should be looked at through a telescope to see the individual stars.
It is easiest to see Capricornus in September. You'll find it below Aquarius and next to Aquila.


text:
Video: Commoditizing wireless communication
ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute aims at making users forget about wireless standards so they can concentrate on applications, beginning with instrumentation.
While users interested in deploying wireless field instruments may still need to be concerned about having to choose which wireless protocol to adopt, the groups responsible for the protocols would probably like to get past that point. Once you don't have to think about the protocol, you can concentrate on new and better ways to use the technology.
In an interview at Honeywell User Group, Andre Ristaino from the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute and Philip Ng from Honeywell discuss how wireless device communication can be commoditized so you don't have to think about that aspect of the process. This gives you the freedom to consider new deployments such as personal protective equipment that can keep better track of where people are in a hazardous environment.
The discussion harks back to earlier comments by Patrick Schweitzer on how network designers can create systems capable of handling things we haven't even thought of yet. A daunting task, certainly, but it's good to know that some people in our industries are trying to look ahead when so many users seem bogged down with 30-year-old systems.
Peter Welander, firstname.lastname@example.com
Follow Control Engineering's industrial wireless coverage.
Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our CFE Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.


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Twista Don't Blink текст песни, слова песни Don't Blink Twista & Turtle Banxx
Twista - Don't Blink
feat. Turtle Banxx
I want you to go in there and get them niggas man
let em know the drought is over man
game recognize game cock your pistols and aim (wee straight)
all about hustlin and bustin for change (wee straight)
to go there we can get in this bitch (wee straight)
ballin for scratch ready to die for this shit
[Turtle Banxx]
don't you know that talking shit ain't wise
nigga I'll advise you and your guys to get the fuck outta my presence
I got trigger eyes
venom plower situations reaping bloody demonstrations when the heat dies
you won't see guys conversating
only homicides and yellow tapings
no suspect no motives mad villains living bogus
if we don't catch you you best believe we tag whoever closest
and make you feel the motions
Turtle Banxx got kill notions thats real potent
have you ever see I still smoking
senile emotions you'll soul cokeland
not a body open fuck ABC's
best to be on P's and Q's I'ma get diseases if you snoozes
you ready yet?
you better study your tech and be a threat fucking coward
or face trigger vests with celeb ways to wreck
off with all heads and all bets
I'm on your neck sending straight .57 threats at your neck nigga
straight .57 till your face don't blink
nowhere to run no time to think
so what you wanna do when it's on like that
in a chill when we steal and your soul get snatched out ya body
shotties to your face don't blink
nowhere to run no time think
so what you wanna do when it's on like that
in a chill when we steal and your soul get snatched out ya body
catch me with a semi on cop
been in your block dumping 17 shots in your spot
putting niggas in shops ready for a box
made my getaway slick as a fox
taking the ditches the cops
escaping visions of prisons and locks
my mission don't stop no pot to piss in so the plot thickens
I keep hearing gats clicking
see I'm into strange places
wear a mask to cover up they faces if they want me why they procrastinate
is it just in oasis?
perpetrated by my imagination
apple texas trojan am I tasting
my own death gun fire got me toned deaf
so I say a silent but I save my ownself
can you clone death?
like they do life I see the blue light hearing the sirens
amongst the madness and the violence gun firing
tragedies of lying in to I want a murderous round boy
that let niggas don't talk infa-red triggers caulk
a nigga trying to cheat life
now death says name affiliation in the street life
I see nights away from the mics
far from the henny and ice where many ya like for the riches and life
while shaking the device with a camera device like dice
from pistol fights nickel hypes murder and mics is life
in the Chi and Suge Knight
so think twice or faces vicious types in pit fights
the blocks hotted the cops watching for anything unusual happen
they been stoping profits three days in tracking
drug traffic distracting clientele with drug habits
load them thangs and make them slugs happen
enemies of surprise got em frantic
scattered and panicked damaged by any 11
ducked behind a treasure box let em have it
managed to get away hide away your weapons
probably still there but they ain't telling
belling to the bank for my safe deposit
gotta take my grub on these narcotics properly watching
with a copy of my face composite
description all the way down to the J's I'm rocking
laser dots and the ducking police dogs hunting
resistin everything I'm touching
blood running down from the barbwire bloodening
choppers hovering sirens coming closer
grab our toaster, I'm supposed to surrender
but I done heard the shots from the trigger of a
yeah yeah
you see man
I told you man
get them niggas man
they know not to
the drought is over
the drought is over man
Turtle Banxx


text:
Division of Acquisition Policy
The Division of Acquisition Policy (DAP) mission is to support the highest quality health care possible by ensuring that customer requirements are met in a timely, credible, professional accountable manner, while meeting statutory, federal and internal control requirements.
Our Goal is to provide management direction and Agency-wide leadership and expertise in the area of acquisition to ensure the timely delivery of quality goods and services that directly results in furthering the IHS mission to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level.
DAP strives to create and implement strategies to maximize the effectiveness, efficiency, and responsiveness of the acquisition process through Department-wide leadership in the areas of policy development, training, and support.
DAP promotes partnerships with contractors and the general public by ensuring the transparency of IHS's procurement processes while maintaining the highest level of public trust, integrity, ethical standards, and compliance with Federal and Health and Human Service (HHS) procurement regulations and policies.


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Does anyone around here remember RJA? You know, the guy with all the kids? Well, I thought he'd given up eating out, but thankfully he hasn't. Here's an updated review of one of Midtown's finest.
Dino's Grill
645 N Mclean Blvd
(901) 278-9127
On a recent Saturday night, three out of four of our kids spent the night with their grandparents, leaving us with only one small child come Sunday morning. Anyone with four kids knows that having only one kid is just like having no kids at all. I'd been sick for a week and didn't feel much better that morning, but I knew that this was an ideal opportunity for something we miss dearly in our hectic lives, a leisurely Sunday morning breakfast out. So I forced myself out of bed and into the shower and promised Kristy a Brother Juniper's feast.
We've enjoyed Brother Juniper's for years, though not as often as we like recently, it being more of a special occasion when we're down to a manageable number of monkeys; Juniper's is just a tad small for the six of us to descend upon. Driving by that morning, though, we saw what you always expect to see, but always hope to avoid: The Wait. There is no foyer, no lobby, in this tiny house-like structure, so all waiting for tables must be done outside. This morning the waiting was being done in the 40-degree temperature. I don't know if it was my recent illness or just the fact that I'm getting older, but I just didn't have any wait time in me. The Spanikopita Omelet is delicious, but it's not that damn delicious.
So we debated where to go next and, it being nearly 11:00, and us wanting something familiar, we decided on Dino's Grill. Not for breakfast, but for their regular Sunday turkey and dressing. What do you say about Dino's? It's so familiar to me that reviewing it is like reviewing my own dining room at home, and it's only slightly cleaner. But Dino's is not known for its … hygienic environs, it's known for its tasty home cooking and such Italian staples as stuffed shells, lasagna, spaghetti and ravioli. Nevertheless, as we slid into a booth and fit my 19-month-old daughter snugly into one of those wooden platforms that restaurants call high chairs, she looked about her with an air of disdain. "Really? This is where you brought me to eat?" she said.
Me: What? It's Dino's, your mother and I have been coming here since before we were married.
GK: My God, how old is this place?
Me: I don't know. Old. But the food has always been good. You'll like it.
GK: Don't you condescend to me, old man.
Me: All I'm saying is that they have good, home-cooked meals here. And some really good Italian cooking.
GK: I'm sure.
Me: Your mother used to work here in college.
GK: Does she work here now? Because I could use some saltines.
Me: Just be patient.
GK: You've already spilled something on your shirt.
And the conversation went on from there, but I won't bore you with the details.
Nothing changes at 645 N. McLean, so Kristy and I ordered without the aid of a menu; turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn and green beans for me; the same for her, no corn or beans, add turnip greens and black-eyed peas. One thing I always liked about Dino's is that it's a true meat and three, not a meat and two like most places, and the portions are heaping. The food came out fast and hot and I dug into it, the taste as familiar in my mouth as my own teeth. Kristy took time to portion out some lunch for GK, who smelled each item, taking a good long look at it, before begrudgingly shoving it into her face. And she liked it! Except for the greens, of course, because greens are disgusting. She spit those out into Kristy's hand and I'm fairly certain Kristy wiped them on the underside of the booth.
For a sit down meal of vegetables or authentic pasta with your kids, there are few places better in Midtown. Rudy, the owner, knows most of his guests by name and is always quick with a laugh or a towel for that spill. And the price is right. The price is right, that is, if there are only between two and four of you. Stacey has implored us in recent months to take our monkeys out to dine and then write about it, but the truth is we just can't afford it, not with five of us ordering off the menu. Yet this particular Sunday we made it out for only $17 and change. Seventeen dollars, that is, before GK calculated her standard 4% tip.
For another take on Dino's, click here.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
3 comments:
- Memphisotan said...
See, that's exactly why I refuse to take GK out anymore. She's well behaved but just so patronizing.
- Memphis Urban Sketchers said...
for future reference, when you are writing something relating to food, please refrain from mentioning the taste of your teeth.
- Sassy Molassy said...
It might have been the massive amount of vaguely pepper-flavored and oft-refilled vinegar I always pour onto my greens that put her off.
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text:
An advise loop instructs the server to inform the client when data in the server's application changes. Advise loops are set up across a conversation, and closing the conversation closes the advise loop.
An advise loop is identified by an item and a key. The key is included to allow any number of uniquely identifiable advise loops to be set up on the same server/topic/item combination.
A successfully established advise loop is also known as a link. When a change occurs to item, the link informs the client by causing it to execute a function.
There are two types of link: the warm link which only informs the client that a change to item has occurred, and the hot link which also sends the new data across.


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san diego san diego san diego san diego
July 23, 2008
• This showed up in my po box a while back, and i just got around to reading it... what a stunner. Clearly a loving Frankenstein homage with nods to comics of old and stuff like Warren's Monster's of Filmland, this oversized comic is a real formal masterpiece. The art is multi-media collage pasted up on newspapers. The look feels gritty and intense, and the narrative is a wild pop-culture tour de force. Great stuff.
• Mr. Max Estes has some cool new stuff available at Made by Max.
• Heads-up from Vancouver cartoonist, and Top Shelf 2.0 contributor Don King, who tipped me off to a terrific sounding show in Vancouver, B.C.
• Had this terrific submission-envelope art hanging in my workshop for forever... figured i show it to the world.
• I've been dipping into my enormous to-read pile a little lately. Standouts include:
Eschew #1 (mini-comic), by Robert Sergel. Apparently this guy has been making comics for a long long time, yet i'd never heard of him until he sent me this mini. And it's really solid. Using a "clear-line" style, the work i've read is of the shorter, poetic style, more than long narratives. In any case, one could spend days reading the plethora of comics he has on his website. So get to it, people!
I lifted this comic from his website.
Nerd Burglar (comic), Free Comic Book Day book by Tugboat Press, Teenage Dinosaur, and Sparkplug Comics. A potpourri of comics fun, this puppy feature's an awesome twisted story by legendary punk cartoonist Bobby Madness and an appearance by the always-good-to-see and sadly underrated ink stud Chris Cilla. What really rocked me though, was a strip called "Fifteen Variations on The First Day We Met," by Sarah Oleksyk, which plays with formalism to wonderful effect. Too hard to describe, i recommend you just order this book. It costs one penny, plus postage, cheap-wads!!
• From comics cognoscenti Craig Yoe:
"Yo, Comix Fan!"I'm joining the San Diego Zoo, i.e. the San Diego ComicCon. I'll be signing my new books Clean Cartoonists' Dirty Drawings and Comic Arf, and I'll be on some panels."
Last Gasp
July 24th, 1:30-2:30
Clean Cartoonists' Dirty Drawings book signing at Last Gasp booth 1616.Fantagraphics
July 24th, 6:00-7:00
Comic Arf book signing at Fantagraphics booth 1716Drawing Demo: Spotlight on Dean Yeagle
July 25, 3:30-4:30
Room 30CDE
I will be the panel moderator.Fantagraphics
July 25th, 5:00-6:00
Comic Arf book signing at Fantagraphics booth 1716Fantagraphics
July 26th, 11:00-12:00
Comic Arf book signing at Fantagraphics booth 1716Last Gasp
July 26th, 1:30-2:30
Clean Cartoonists' Dirty Drawings book signing at Last Gasp booth 1616.The Launch of Abrams ComicArts
July 26th, 3:00-4:00
Craig's book will be announced!• And once again, because i can... here's Cfunk doing his Happy Dance.


text:
model category, model -category
Universal constructions
Producing new model structures
Presentation of -categories
Model structures
for -groupoids
on chain complexes/model structure on cosimplicial abelian groups
related by the Dold-Kan correspondence
for equivariant -groupoids
for rational -groupoids
for rational equivariant -groupoids
for -groupoids
for -groups
for -algebras
general -algebras
specific -algebras
for stable/spectrum objects
for -categories
for stable -categories
for -operads
for -categories
for -sheaves / -stacks
An object in a model category is fibrant if all morphisms into it have extensions along acyclic cofibrations. An algebraic fibrant object is a fibrant object equipped with a choice of such extensions.
Under mild conditions, the category of algebraic fibrant objects in a model category forms itself naturally a model category which is Quillen equivalent to , and in which all objects are fibrant. Notably, is always a category of fibrant objects.
Let be a cofibrantly generated model category such that
Choose a set of acyclic cofibrations such that
the domains are small objects;
an object is fibrant precisely if it has the right lifting property against these morphisms.
An algebraic fibrant object in is a fibrant object of together with a choice of lifts ("fillers") in
for each morphism , .
Write for the category whose objects are algebraic fibrant objects in and whose morphisms are morphisms in that respect the chosen lifts.
The set can be taken to be that of all generating acyclic cofibrations, if their domains are small. But often there are smaller subsets that still characterize all fibrant objects.
The forgetful functor adjunction
induces the transferred model structure on : the fibrations and weak equivalences in are those of the underlying morphisms in .
In particular, every object in is fibrant.
The Quillen adjunction is a Quillen equivalence.
This is (Nikolaus, theorem 2.20)
Since fibrations in are created in , and any algebraically fibrant object is, in particular, fibrant, every object in the model category is fibrant. Thus almost any model category is equivalent to one in which all objects are fibrant. However, in general not all objects in will be cofibrant, even if this was true in itself.
We spell out the constructions and lemmas that yield the theorem on the model structure. In the course of this we also discuss a few results of interest in their own right, such as the monadicity, local presentability and combinatoriality of .
We describe explicitly the left adjoint to the forgetful functor . This follows Richard Garner's improved version of the small object argument (Garner).
For define a new object inductively as follows.
This pushout adds all possible "horn" fillers to , given by the . However, after adding the new fillers there may also appear new horns. So we continue this procedure iteratively by filling these new horns.
Since is an acyclic cofibration in , so is its its pushout, hence by assumption the pushout is a monomorphism. This implies that if an factors through then it does so uniquely.
Let be the pushout
where now the coproduct is over those morphisms that do not factor throuth .
Proceeding this way yields a sequence of acyclic cofibrations
We set
be the colimit over this sequence.
The object inherits canonical fillers: since by all are small objects we have that every morphism factors through one of the intermediate . Then for any of the morphisms in the corresponding morphism provides a filler.
The assignment with regarded as an algebraic fibrant objects as above constitutes a left adjoint functor to the forgetful functor .
The unit of this adjunction is the inclusion given by the above construction and is hence a weak equivalence.
We establish the hom-isomorphism of the adjunction and its construction by the unit of the adjunction: For any and any morphism in , we need to show that there is a unique commuting diagram
Since by assumption has all fillers we have commuting diagrams
By the universality of the pushout these induce unique morphisms
By induction this induces morphisms that form a cocone under . Therefore there is a unique morphusm as indicated.
The morphisms have retracts.
Since is left adjoint to the condition that is the identity is equivalent to its adjunct, the diagonal in
being the unit of the adjunction . Take to be the (unique) filler for this morphism.
We now give a formal justification for calling the objects of algebraic objects by showing that is the category of algebras over an algebraic theory in , or more precisely that it is the category of algebra over the monad on
The functor is monadic.
This is (Nikolaus, prop. 24)
By one of the equivalent statements of Beck's monadicity theorem we have to check that
The first item we already checked above.
For the second item it is sufficient to observe that if is a morphism in such that has an inverse , then it follows that must preserve fillers, hence itself constitutes the underlying morphism of an inverse if in .
For the third item, let be two morphisms in such that the coequalizer
exists in , together with sections of and of such that . We need to equip with fillers such that it becomes the coequalizer of in .
For a horn, declare that its filler is the the chosen filler of
We check now that this choice indeed makes the coequalizer in .
First of all we need to check that preserves the chosen fillers.
So given a filler
it is sent by to the filler
of . This is supposed to be the same as
Now use the relation to rewrite the first diagram equivalently as
and the relation to rewrite the second diagram equivalently as
This show that the fillers and are images under and , respectively, of a single filler in . Since coequalizes, it follows that .
Finally we need to show that the coequalizing morphism in thus established is indeed universal with this property.
For a coequalizing morphism in , the fact that is a coequalizer in already gives a unique morphism in
So it is sufficient to observe that preserves chosen fillers. But this is true be the above construction, which says that the chosen fillers in are the images of the chosen fillers in .
The forgetful functor is a solid functor.
We discuss the proof for a slightly simpler statement, from which the full statement follows easily.
Let be an algebraic fibrant object, an object in and
a morphism in (really: ). Then there is an algebraic fibrant object and a morphism such that the composite
is a morphism of algebraic fibrant objects and it is initial with this property:
for every morphism in with an algebraic fibrant object such that the composite preserves distinguished fillers, there exists a unique morphism such that we have a commutative diagram
Moreover, if is a monomorphism in , then is an acyclic cofibration.
This is (Nikolaus, prop. 2.6).
The naive idea would be to equip with distinguished fillers
for each distinguished filler . But since the composite may factor through in many ways, this will not give a unique notion of filler. Therefore we shall iteratively form colimits that equate these potentially different fillers.
Let be the set of morphisms of the form that factor through . For each let be the set of images of distinuished fillers .
where on the right we take the colimit over the diagram with one object per morphism that factors through , and one morphism per induced distinguished filler obtained from a choice of factorization through .
This comes with a canonica cocone-morphism . Continue this way to build by coequalizing the different ways morphisms into may factor through , etc. to obtain a sequence
and set
Notice that if is a monomorphism then all factorizations are unique and hence is an isomorphism.
The object can be seen to have the desired universal factorization property. But it may not yet be itself algebraically fibrant. So we conclude by essentially applying the construction of the left adjoint . But we start with letting be the pushout
where now the coproduct is over all morphisms that do not factor through . After that we proceed exactly as we did for the construction for and obtain a sequence
Finally we set
One checks that this has the claimed properties (…).
As before, the inclusion is an acyclic cofibration. Hence by the above remarks in the case that is a monomorphism also is an acyclic cofibration.
By replacing in this proof factorization through a single by factorization through a family of s one finds that is a solid functor.
The category has all limits and colimits in .
The limits and the filtered colimits (but not the general colimit)s are created by .
Consider first limits: for a diagram and its limit in , let be a horn. Since all the composite maps have distinguished fillers and since the morphisms between these respect these fillers, we get a cone of fillers with tip over . The universal cone morphism provides then a distinguished filler for the limit. By the same argument, any cone in whose underlying cone in is a limiting cone is also limiting in .
Now consider filtered colimits. By assumption the domains are small objects. Therefore for a filtered diagram and its filtered colimit, any morphism factors through one of the . This provides a filler . Observe that while neither nor the filler are uniquely determined, its image in is. This makes an object in . By the same argument one finds that it is the universal cocone under in .
Now for a general diagram with colimit in , we use the above fact that is a solid functor to deduce that is the colimit of in .
While this gives a general prescription for computing colimits, the following lemma asserts a slightly simpler way for computing certain pushouts in . This will be needed for establishing the model category structure.
Let be a morphism in and
a diagram in . Then
its pushout in is , where is the canonical morphism;
if is an acyclic cofibration then so is .
This is (Nikolaus, prop 2.14).
First check that has the universal property of the pushout: for any we have by the above proposition that morphisms are in bijection to morphisms in such that the composition
preserves distinguished fillers.
This in turn is the same as a morphism in and a morphism in that agree on . By adjunction this corresponds to an adjunct . This establishes the pushout property of .
To show that is an acyclic cofibration of is, recall that this morphism is the composite
Here the first morphism is an acyclic cofibration because it is the pushout of the acyclic cofibration . Therefore by assumption is a monomorphism and by the remarks in the solidity lemma the morphism is an acyclic cofibration. Hence so is the composite of the two.
Under the above conditions, becomes a model category with the -transferred model structure: weak equivalences and fibrations in are those morphisms that are so in .
This appears as (Nikolaus, def. 2.15).
This follows from the above result that is a solid functor as described in detail at solid functor by observing that the acyclicity condition required there follows as in the discussion of the solidity of above, using the assumption that all acyclic cofibrations in are monomorphisms.
We spell out the argument, following (Nikolaus).
By the conditions listed at transferred model structure it is sufficient to check that
preserves small object, which is the case in particular if it preserves filtered colimits;
sends sequential colimits of pushouts of images under of generating acyclic cofibrations to weak equivalences.
The first item is true by the above discussion of filtered colimits in .
That the second item holds follows from the above pushout lemma which asserts that -images of pushouts of -images of generating acyclic cofibrations are acylic cofibrations, and again by the fact that preserves filtered colimits, which implies that it preserves the transfinite composition of these acyclic cofibrations.
The functor preserves acyclic cofibrations.
This appears as (Nikolaus, theorem 2.18)
We observe that the unit and counit of are both weak equivalences:
the unit of the adjunction is is by the above construction a transfinite composition of acyclic cofibrations (in fact a fibrant replacement) hence in particular a weak equivalence. Moreover, the unit is a section of the counit in that
Hence by 2-out-of-3 also is a weak equivalence.
This implies that induces an equivalence of categories on the homotopy categories. Since equals its total right derived functor (since every object in is fibrant) this means that is a Quillen equivalence.
If is a locally presentable category then so is .
By the above we know that is the category of algebras over a monad .
We invoke the theorem on local presentability of categories of algebras discussed at locally presentable category. This says that it is sufficient to check that is an accessible functor, hence that it preserves filtered colimits. Now is a left adjoint and hence preserves all colimits, while we checked above that preserves filtered colimits.
If is a combinatorial model category then so is .
The standard model structure on simplicial sets models the (∞,1)-category ∞Grpd of ∞-groupoids: its fibrant objects are precisely the Kan complexes. But a Kan complex is a model for an -groupoid in which composites and inverses of k-morphisms are only guaranteed to exist, but are not specifically chosen .
An algebraic fibrant object in is a Kan complex with a chosen filler for each horn: an algebraic Kan complex (see simplicial T-complex for a related but much stricter notion). This means precisely that all possible composites and all possible inverses are chosen. So the Quillen equivalence
induces an equivalence from an algebraic definition of ∞-groupoids to a geometric definition.
Similarly, the model structure for quasi-categories models (∞,1)-categories: its fibrant objects are precisely the quasi-categories: an algebraic quasi-category. Again, these form a model for -categories in which composition is only a relation, not an operation.
But equipping a quasi-category with the structure of an algebraic fibrant object precisely means choosing such composites. Accordingly, the Quillen equivalence
establishes an equivalence of an algebraic with the standard geometric model for -categories.
The model structure on algebraic fibrant objects was introduced and discussed in
A survey is in
The refined small object argument that is being used in the construction of the left adjoint is along the lines of the discussion in
Last revised on August 15, 2019 at 00:30:09. See the history of this page for a list of all contributions to it.


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LAS VEGAS, NV, October 22, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Don Forman, the owner of the United Nissan dealership in Las Vegas, boasts of huge experience working for the auto manufacture and selling industry. Back in 1998, he was already working as Nissan West's general manager. So, that is more than two decades prior and this should give you some idea about the man's association with the industry.
Therefore, during this pandemic, when all small and mid-sized businesses are having a hard time of it just keeping their heads afloat, if there was one man who could keep a car dealership running, it had to be Don Forman. And actually, Don's dealership did significantly better than just keeping its head afloat. It ended up making record-breaking sales! In fact, Don Forman's Vegas dealership sales records were the best among all dealerships in the state during the months of the pandemic.
How Don Forman Las Vegas Dealership Managed to Offset the Impact of Pandemic
Success in any business depends on flexibility. At any time, even a successfully running business can experience difficult times. Then, there are unforeseen circumstances (such as this recent pandemic) that can derail all your preset plans. However, in times like those, businesses that show the maximum amount of flexibility often come out at the top. And this is what Don Forman Las Vegas dealership did during the troubled times of these last months. They remained flexible.
Paying Attention to 'Small Sales'
Somewhat similar to what car dealership do during the year-end holiday season (the traditional downtime for the auto industry), Forman's dealership concentrated more on small sales during this period---at any rate, during the first months of the pandemic when things were at their worst.
Auto Maintenance and Repair
Don Forman dealership also runs a separate car maintenance and repair unit and provides high quality, reliable repair services to its customers. During the pandemic, when civil movements were restricted, many cars had to sit in the garage for a long time. However, when this happens, many models (especially high-end luxury cars) need regular maintenance to avoid suffering a breakdown and other problems.
Therefore, Don made sure that maintenance services are available whenever the customers requested. Don's customer support team was always available to receive calls and schedule maintenance appointments with prospective customers. Moreover, the dealership offered their repair and maintenance services at a reduced rate than normal and this obviously meant that they were able to attract more customers than other repair facilities and body shops. So, here again, we see the importance of remaining flexible.
Selling Auto Contracts
Part of all dealerships' revenues comes from selling auto contracts. And pandemic or not, the car owners still had to have policies for their vehicles and keep up to date with them. So, when actual car sales were low, Forman dealership was still able to do good business by selling different types of auto contracts such as auto-hazard warranties, paint protection, extended auto warranty, and the like. Here, it must be mentioned though that when it comes to these types of sales, the past reputation of the dealership plays a big role. Now, since Don Forman's United Nissan dealership has always offered their customers auto warranties from some of the most reputable auto insurance services, Don's customers never had any occasion to complain in this regard.
Apart from the above, Forman also concentrated on doing good business through their other peripheral services such as car rental, same-day servicing, and cars on loans. We can see that these services are actually even more valuable during these days of a pandemic than they would be at normal times.
Finally, when restrictions on civilian movement were made less stringent, the dealership, in addition to their normal fares, began to concentrate more on offering affordable mid-range cars and good condition used cars in order to rev up their sales figures. Since it was not feasible that one maintain social distancing measures while using public transportation, many homeowners who otherwise may not have invested in a private vehicle, chose to buy these affordable new or used cars.
And it is thanks to these flexible strategies and deep insight into the nature of one's business that Don Forman again proved his worth as an astute business person even in these troubled times.
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Influenza, or the flu, is caused by one of several types of viruses that can spread quickly from person to person via airborne particles. If the particles are inhaled, they will travel down the trachea into smaller and smaller airways. At this point, protein spikes on the surface of a virus may bind to other proteins on the cells that line the respiratory tract. The virus is then engulfed by the cell, which serves as a factory of sorts for viral replication. The newly formed viruses bud off the surface of the cell and spread throughout the respiratory system.
The infected tissues become swollen and inflamed, causing symptoms such as a cough, sore throat, and a runny or stuffy nose. As the virus continues to spread into the bloodstream and throughout the body, further symptoms, including fever, headache, muscle aches, and extreme fatigue, develop.
Fortunately, the body's immune system comes into play to help fight off the foreign invaders. In the bloodstream, specific immune cells called B cells recognize the protein spikes on the viruses and begin to multiply. The army of cells then produce antibodies that bind to the protein spikes, tagging the virus for destruction. The viruses are then ingested and destroyed by cells that recognize the antibodies stuck on the viral surfaces, leaving the army of B cell clones ready to fight off the virus if it enters the body again.
Vaccines for the flu also use this pathway to protect you from the virus. The vaccine actually contains harmless pieces of the viruses that prepare the immune system for a viral invasion. However, the influenza virus notoriously mutates, or changes, such that the new virus is not recognized by the immune system and can infect even those who have been vaccinated.


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"You're collecting guitar picks!? Is this a joke?"
I can't recall how often I've been accosted with this query. At this point I pull from my pocket (and how often can one carry around part of a collection in your pocket?) a small leather change purse containing a myriad of vintage plectra. Trapezoids, mosaics, cork-grips, corrugated. The former doubting Thomas is easily drawn to the diverse shapes and colors. In a world where there are not just one but two books devoted to the collectibility of happy meal toys, why should an interest in the hobby of collecting the lowly guitar pick be so farfetched?
My personal quest into the world of pick collecting began rather casually. I found a nice old Martin Style C uke from the '20s and rather than use the customary felt pick, I recalled a long oval celluloid pick I used when I began to play guitar in 1966. Because it was so flexible, the pick did the work, not the wrist. It might do the trick. Realizing no modern store would have such an ancient piece, I perused the older shops in downtown Boston. Alas, no luck there, but a clerk alerted me to a recently published book called Picks! by Nashville studio veteran Will Hoover. I absorbed that little book on my trip home, where I went through all the picks I'd saved over the last 30 years and found many a collectible entity. I was hooked and my journey was begun.
Here, we'll attempt to unearth a little-known corner within the world of vintage instrument collecting – the art of the pick! I'll endeavor to unravel the questions: what to look for, where to look, and how to rope, corral, and store these little critters.
What to Look For
One of the beauties of pick collecting is that there are so many aspects to it. For the sake of being concise, we'll address half a dozen. Arguably, the most soughtafter pick today is the celebrity pick – a pick designed specifically for a star.
It seems just about every time a tour commences, a new celeb is put out for show. Thus, celeb collecting could garner dozens of logos for the same act over a period of years. Some celeb picks are in more demand than others. Stevie Ray Vaughan is a case in point. But buyer beware – there seem to be quite a few fakes out there and even these are demanding top prices.
Some tend to favor early celebs. Nick Lucas was a famed guitarist who, in the early '30s, was part of a team that designed what has become known as the "Lucas shape" – the D'Andrea #351. Even competitors describe their 351 shapes by this title. The Lucas imprint was one of the first produced and made from the '30s through the '70s with various changes in logo design. Other pre-celebs include Nick Manoloff, with his name impressed in the pick rather than screened on, like the Lucas. Bob Clifton had a celluloid "Tu-Way" diamond-shaped pick, also with his name impressed. Roy Smeck never seemed to meet an endorsement he didn't like, and had a metal finger pick and a celluloid thumb pick with his name engraved on them.
Any discussion of early celebs leads to the largest area of collectible picks – the vintage variety. By this, we mean anything older than 25 years, and in most cases, not being made anymore. Although there were dozens of pick companies, we'll stick to the D'Andrea and Herco companies.
The D'Andrea company has been around the longest. Founded in 1922 by Luigi D'Andrea, this family-run firm is still producing picks and other supplies 75 years later. At one point in the late '40s/early '50s, D'Andrea offered 59 styles, including picks with rubber, cork, or corrugation, all designed to improve grip. They had picks for mandolin and banjo and some way-out sizes that defy description. If a player wanted something special, D'Andrea would supply them. Eventually, the selection pared down to about two dozen. Thankfully, Luigi had a numbering system.
D'Andrea's biggest competition came in the '50s from the Herco company, started by the Hershman family of New York. The Hershmans imported picks from Japan, and their 720 collection had only 11 flat picks, three thumb picks, and a finger pick. Although they offered similar sizes as D'Andrea, there are several distinguishing features to look for. D'Andrea had a logo, Hercos did not, but can be identified by the small "Japan" imprint on the face of the pick. D'Andrea corkgrips have a smooth cork finish, while the Hercos are rough. D'Andrea picks are highly polished and the Hercos usually have a dull sheen. Same shapes had different numbers. The D'Andrea Lucas shape was #351. Herco's was #25. While D'Andrea used many celluloid colors over the years, Herco kept the same faux-tortoise amber and brown until later years, as well as an occasional multicolored mosaic. And finally, a red-speckled shade. The Herco company was swallowed up by the giant Jim Dunlop corporation and the D'Andreas are still thriving.
A far easier division of pick collecting is the shop imprint. Most stores have some kind of logo on a pick. Commonly, it's only the name of the establishment and perhaps a phone number. But there are some with stylized artwork. Needless to say, if you live in Colorado, there's not much chance of finding a shop imprint from New Hampshire. So visit shops in your area and grab a handful for future trades.
Most major guitar companies have logo picks. For the most part they are D'Andrea made. Different companies have offered various sizes. In the '50s, Fender only had the small #358 and the Lucas-shaped #351. In the '60s they expanded to include the rounded-triangle #346 and the large #355 triangle. An interesting sidebar to the Fender pick story is that Leo never applied for his name to be trademarked. CBS didn't get around to it until August of '65 and didn't receive it until '72! So, if you find an old pick without the trademark "R" after the word Fender, chances are you've got a pre-CBS pick!
Gibson, on the other hand, had been selling picks since the '20s and by the '40s and '50s they had more than a dozen shapes. Some of the earliest have "Gibson" impressed directly on the pick with either a straight block letter logo or an arched name. Later, they began to have the name screened in gold block letters on shell-and-white picks. To confuse matters more, Gibson's numbering system was not the same as D'Andrea's, even though they were D'Andrea-made. Four sizes in a black material called eboneen emerged in the early '70s. These are sometimes referred to as the raindrop pick, for the unique design.
Other companies would follow suit, including Guild, Gretsch, Epiphone, and National. Although the Nationals from the '50s and '60s came in white-and-shell, Lucas-shaped, and #346 size, they were imported from Japan.
More than any other vintage pick, genuine tortoiseshell and real ivory are the most sought after. Both of these materials have been on the endangered species list since the early '70s and are no longer made. D'Andrea offered tortoiseshell picks with their logo from the '30s through the '70s. Once you've played with a real shell pick, you may never go back to nylon.
During the '50s and '60s, regional music distributors handled most of the door to door operations of selling National products to smaller stores in their area. Some even had their own logo picks made by D'Andrea. In the Northeast, one large distributor was Harris-Fandel. They offered all of the popular D'Andrea styles with their own "H-F" stamp. One of their best claims to fame came in 1973 when they commissioned D'Andrea to make the "Famous No. 351" pick to commemorate their anniversary. Other distributors would include "Coast" and "Pacific" on the west coast, "Maxwell" and "Cortley" in the south and "Heater" in the northwest. These companies usually offered a "jobber" catalog for the stores, which are invaluable in identifying the picks that were available in these areas.
Another offshoot for vintage paraphernalia are pick cards and display cases. The cards would hold a dozen or more picks at three for 25 cents, or 10 cents each. Nick Lucas, Nick Manoloff and Bob Clifton could be found elbowing each other and Herco and D'Andrea for counter space. Both D'Andrea and Herco offered similar plastic pick display boxes. Finding these old boxes isn't easy. Most were used until broken and then tossed away. Any that might still be around are in rough shape. Oversized display picks are also in demand. I've seen these with the Fender, Guild and Martin logos.
Finally, there's always someone trying to reinvent the pick. Some of these designs are quite intricate and not very practical. They soon fade into memory. While others carry on in hopes of finding their niche. Dunlop offered their grey nylon pick with a rubber band through it. You'd wrap the band around your finger for better grip. In the early '70s there was an ad for a "Band-it" pick. It had a large loop over the pick so the player could slip his finger through. Then, there is a new pick on the market called "Dava." Depending on where you hold the pick it functions as everything from thin to heavy. Who knows, some of these might be collectible in 20 years.
Where to Look
After deciding on an area to concentrate, the question arises – where do I find them? The easiest attainable are shop imprints. Just go in and buy some. Next would be the most desired – celebs. If you frequent clubs or concert halls that your fave guit-meister might alight, bring some stamped self- addressed envelopes and make contact with a guitar tech. Be polite and ask if he might drop in a few picks (one for your collection and some for trade) and mail them off to you. A complimentary soda or beer might not be a bad incentive.
As for the vintage buds, most modern stores haven't been planet-bound long enough to have the older material. Your best bet is to seek out the old mom-and-pop operations that have been in business for decades. Here in the northeast, there were many large mills in small rural towns. They employed many ethnic peoples and their music. These smaller shops catered to them. Most of the mills are long gone but some of these shops still survive. There's a good chance a large cache of vintage stuff had been collecting dust in the back room or under the counter for the last 30 years. I'm sure they would be happy to unload them at a discount. But you'd better move fast. These places are dying off.
The most obvious place to look for vintage picks are vintage instruments – in their cases. When you happen on a vintage shop, pawnbroker, flea market, antique store or luthier repairman take a look in the pocket of the case. Voila! I once visited a large antique fair in central New England and there among the overpriced cherry desks and Tiffany lamps I found many a banjo and mandolin case with a hidden treasure inside. In another instance, at a vintage guitar show in the L.A. area, I approached a stunning 1957 Fender Strat in mint condition. I told the dealer I couldn't afford such a luscious specimen, but what about these nice old Fender picks in the case? "Take 'em," he offered. That's about as close to anything I'm ever going to get in a '57 Fender. And free is always my favorite price.
The best source I've found to increase one's collection is by joining a trader network. There is strength in numbers. If you can't find what you desire in your neck of the woods, chances are someone in another part of the country (or for that matter, another part of the world) might have what you require and vice versa. There are always ads in the back of Vintage Guitar and other publications searching for the same. Besides making a fresh contact, you've made a new friend.
Storage and Display
Now that you've started to acquire a few picks – okay, a lot more than a few picks. The final step is the proper storing and displaying of your collection. As noted in Will Hoover's book, picks are more sensitive to fire than the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. How often have you seen a guitarist with a nice 'stache put his pick on one side of his mouth, smoking a cigarette on the other side while doing a fast tune-up on stage? "Nice pyrotechnics, man!" Yeah, but what do you do for an encore?
I've found an easy solution for storing picks. I use plastic cases with many compartments. The type used for jewelry. They are perfect for placing picks of the same color and brand. An important point to make here is – picks have to breathe. Celluloid is porous. Take 'em out for air occasionally. In time, if they stay all cooped up they become dry, brittle and break easily.
As for displaying your new-found friends, care is also paramount. Celluloid, being a finicky element, must be kept away from moisture. Avoid common transparent tape, the glue will do irreversible damage in the long run. For displaying, I like to use archival photo slide sheets (top mounting). The clear plastic enables one to view both sides of the pick. They fit into an ordinary three-ring binder for easy storage and transport. Other methods include mounting picks on large display boards, but make sure to use archival tape. Placing picks of the same heritage together in a frame makes an attractive gift. Try not to make any display permanent, as a collection grows you might want to shift your picks from one spot to another.
I was tempted not to broach this subject, but as we live in a mercenary world, I suppose I must.
As with anything old, collectible, no longer available, or just plain "I gotta have that at any price!," value is in the eye (or more precisely in the pocketbook) of the beholder. If someone is willing to shell out $75 for a plastic Halloween pumpkin from McDonalds, I suppose someone might do the same for a genuine Eric Clapton pick. I believe picks were designed for a purpose. There is beauty in their simplicity. But invariably when used they wear out and die. Therefore, if it's a mint piece as with any commodity, someone's going to charge and someone will probably pay. I'd hate to see pick collecting go the route of vintage guitars and amps. Eh, c'est la vie.
Wrapping Up the Picks
Pick collecting is far from a new enterprise. Guitar Player has had several articles about picks dating back to 1975. I came to pick collecting searching for a sound of my youth. I found a vast tract of uncharted and undiscovered information. I'm in this for fun, not profit. As vintage guitars, amps and effects have become beyond the grasp of the everyday player and into the vaults and display cases of deep pocketed collectors, the humble pick satisfies the "collecting jones." And at a mere pittance. There are so many avenues to go down. You can specialize in one or more areas and never tire of the seemingly endless stages of the pick. And, someone is always trying to build a better mousetrap …er, pick.
Oh, and what's my favorite pick, you ask? I bought a gross of Fender #351 in medium in 1970 in a clear plastic box. No trademark after the Fender logo. I've still got some left and I cherish every one of these babies.
D'Andrea pick selection courtesy of Chris Gaylord. Photo: Brett Sterrett.
This article originally appeared in VG's May. '99 issue.